In the Navy, he served as a navigator aboard the USS Oxford in the South China Sea during the Vietnam War.

[3] When Lesko returned he earned a master's degree in business administration (MBA) from American University in Washington, D.C.

In 1975, Lesko quit his job designing computerized information systems and co-founded Washington Researchers with his then-wife Leila K.

[9] In 2005, Lesko was named #99 in Bernard Goldberg's book 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America because, "He is a symbol for self-centered free-riders.

"[11] But in the last couple paragraphs of the same article, the author cites the names of multiple people who have actually used Lesko's books and teachings to get free money for several different things, everything from having their roof replaced on their home to "a local government program that gave them $12,000 to help pay for a gravel walkway for their cows.